^11:5Those who buy them² slaughter them and are not held guilty; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich.’ Their own shepherds have no compassion for them. ^11:6Indeed, I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land,” says the Lord, “but instead I will turn every last person over to his neighbor and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from them.”

^11:7So I³ began to shepherd the flock destined for slaughter, the most afflicted⁴ of all the flock. Then I took two staffs,⁵ calling one “Pleasantness”⁶ and the other “Binders,”⁷ and I tended the flock.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

2 The expression those who buy them appears to be a reference to the foreign nations to whom Israel’s own kings “sold” their subjects. Far from being good shepherds, then, they were evil and profiteering. The whole section (vv. 4–14) refers to the past when the Lord, the Good Shepherd, had in vain tried to lead his people to salvation and life.
3 The first person pronoun refers to Zechariah himself who, however, is a “stand-in” for the Lord as the actions of vv. 8–14 make clear. The prophet, like others before him, probably performed actions dramatizing the account of God’s past dealings with Israel and Judah (cf. Hos 1–3; Isa 20:2–4; Jer 19:1–15; 27:2–11; Ezek 4:1–3).
4 For the reading לָכֵן עֲנִיֵּי (lakhen ’aniyyey, “therefore the [most] afflicted of”) the presupposes לִכְנַעֲנֵיּי (“to the merchants of”). The line would then read “So I began to shepherd the flock destined for slaughter for the sheep merchants” (cf. ). This helps to explain the difficult לָכֵן (lakhen) here but otherwise has no attestation or justification, so the is followed by most modern English versions.
5 The two staffs represent the two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. For other examples of staffs representing tribes or nations see Num 17:1–11; Ezek 37:15–23.
6 The Hebrew term נֹעַם (no’am) is frequently translated “Favor” (so , , , , ); cf. “Beauty”; “Mercy.” The name of the first staff, pleasantness, refers to the rest and peace of the covenant between the Lord and his people (cf. v. 10).
7 The Hebrew term חֹבְלִים (khovlim) is often translated “Union” (so , , ); cf. , “Bands”; “Bonds”; , , “Unity”). The name of the second staff, Binders, refers to the relationship between Israel and Judah (cf. v. 14).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”

So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”

So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Those who buy them slaughter them but are not punished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord because I have become rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion for them. Indeed, I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, I will turn everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue it from their hand.”

So I shepherded the flock intended for slaughter, the oppressed of the flock. I took two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock.

NLTNew Living Translation

The buyers slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers say, ‘Praise the Lord! Now I’m rich!’ Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. Likewise, I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” says the Lord. “I will let them fall into each other’s hands and into the hands of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not rescue them.”

So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter—the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd’s staffs and named one Favor and the other Union.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

The ones buying them kill them and go unpunished, and the ones selling them say, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, for I have become rich.’ Their own shepherds have no compassion for them. For I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land,” declares Yahweh. “Look, I am going to cause humankind to fall, each into the hand of his neighbor, and into the hand of his king; and they will devastate the land, and I will not deliver anyone from their hand.”

And I shepherded the flock doomed to slaughter, even the afflicted of the flock. I took two staffs, one I called Kindness, and the other I called Unity, and I shepherded the flock.

KJV 1900King James Version

Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty:

And they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich:

And their own shepherds pity them not.

For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord:

But, lo, I will deliver the men

Every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king:

And they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock.

And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

Public Domain